Electric clock-setting mechanism



.(No Model.)

G. M. OROOK. BLEGTRIG GLOGK SETTING MECHANISM.

Patented Mar. 16, 1897.

UNITED STATns nTnNT Trice.

CHARLES M. OROOK, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES S. BURTOV,TRUSTEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Min

ECl-lANlSM.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 578,976, dated March16, 1897.

Application filed January 11, 1897. Serial No. 618,805. (No model.)

To a roll/07w it ULUJ/ concern-r Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. Cnoon, acitizen of the United States, residing-at Elgin, county of Kane, andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Synchronizing Mechanism for Clocks, which are fully set forthin the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to devices for synehronizing clocks, connectedina system with a central or controlling clock, by which all the clocks inthe system are synchronized or set in agreement by means of an electriccircuit controlled by said central clock.

It consists of details of construction set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a clockmechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan of the armature and leverconnected therewith, which are shown in relation with the wheel uponwhich the synchronizing action is performed, the clock-frame being shownin section through the bearings of said wheel and armature.

Fig. 3 is a detail edge elevation of the lockinglever. Fig. l is adetail section of the frame at the plane of the line i l on Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a detail elevation showinga portion of the synchronizing mechanismmodified in respect to the locking device.

A is the forward frame-plate; Z), (Z, and c, the staffs,respectively,ofthe seconds-hand l3, minute-hand D, and intermediate wheel B, O, and Dare wheels in the train connecting said hands, and E is the wheel in thesame train, whose staff, (not shown,) being a sleeve of customary form,carries the hourhand E. The principal train, with which this train isfrictionally connected, may be of usual type and is not shown. Thedevice for frictional connection is partly shown on the wheel 0,consisting of the locking-spring F, which need not be furtherdeseribed,all that is necessary for the purpose and understanding ofthis invention being thatit should be understood that the train shown isfrictionally con nected with the principal train by the connecting ofthe wheel 0 with its staff 0, which frictional connection is effected bymeans of the locking-spring F.

G is the synchronizing-electromagnet.

II is the armature. This armature is mounted on the lever 5, which isfulcrumed on the frame, the lever having the portion J extending acrossfrom the front plate A to the back plate A and provided with trunnions.I and J which take in the front and rear plates A and A, respectively.The lever-arm 5 extends from the fulcrum of the lever across toward theleft beyond the front plate and is provided with twoforwardly-projecting studs J and J. These studs are adapted to protrudethrough the openings in the front plate, one at the right and the otherat the left of a fore-and-aft plane through the vertical staff 0.

"he bearing in the plate A for the rear trunnion j of the armature-leverJ is slotted or elongated in a direction obliquely downward andoutward-that is to say, to the right, viewing it from the forward sidesothat the position normally assumed by the armature and lever under theaction of gravity is that shown in dotted line in Fig. 2, the armaturebeing oblique to the plane of the axes of the magnet-poles and alsooblique to the horizontal plane in which said poles ter- 1ninatethat is,the rear end of the armature drops downward and outward under the actionof gravity, causing the lever-arm J to extend from its fulcrum obliquelyrearward as it extends over toward the left behind the plate A, thisposition being shown in dotted line in 2. At this position, which is theposition assumed when the magnet is deenergized or neutral and does notattract the armature, the studs J and J do not project into the plane ofthe wheel 0 and do not in any manner affect the action of the train.\Vhen, however, the magnet is energized and the armature is lifted intocontact with the magnetpoles, the rear trunnion j traveling upward inthe slotted bearingj comes into the position shown in full line in Fig.2, causing the lever-arm .I to extend in a plane parallel with the plateA and to thrust its studs J and J forward past the plane of said plateand into and across the plane of rotation of the wheel C. This movementtakes place substantially simultaneously with the rocking movement ofthe lever about its fulcrum caused by the upward movement of both theforward and rear end of the armature, so that being first thrust forwardthrough the wheel C the studs are carried downward with the lever-arm Jand collide with the spokes of the wheel below them, respectively,coming to rest when the armature reaches the limit of its movementtoward the poles, which, being an unvariable position, brings the wheel0 to an unvariable positionto wit, that shown in Fig. 1 wherein thestuds J and J are upon the spokes, respectively, w 1ich were next belowthem on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the axis of the wheel atthe instant when the synchronizing action caused by the energizing ofthe magnet occurred. The movement which will be given to the wheels bythe contact of the studs J 2 and J 3 with its spokes depends upon thevariation of the position of the wheel at that instant from the positionto which it would be forced by such contact of the studs with thespokes, this position being the true position at the instant ofsynchronizing-to wit, the position which the wheel should occupy attwelve oclock m., for example, if that is the hour for synchronizing-allof the hands being in line. In so far as the wheel varies from thisposition, being either faster or slower, it will be moved, thuscorrecting the variation of the clock from the'true time.

When the clocks ofa system designed to be synchronized together are usedin such sitnations as permit the employment of a telegraph-line to beused as the connecting-circuitas, for example, in the case of clocks ofthe several stations of a railroadit is desirable to avoid the necessityof constructing an independent circuit, and for this purpose it iscustomary to connect the clocks by proper switches with thetelegraph-line for a very short time about the time of synchronizing,the line being for that time held out of other use. If after thesynchronizing action has occurred the operator in charge neglects todisconnect the clock, an impulse will be experienced by the armature atevery closing of a telegraph-key in the ordinary use of a line forsending messages, and in the absence of any device to prevent such aresult the clock would be reset at every such impulse back to twelveoclock, thus defeating the synchronizing action which was performed atthe proper time. Such a result is avoided in my invention by the use ofthe locking-lever K, which is fulcrumed on the frame at 70, extends uppast the lever-arm J, and has a shoulder K, affording a positive seatfor a stoppin J provided on the lever-arm J, said lever-arm being lockedagainst the movement which would beimparted to it by the magnetattracting the armature when the pin is thus lodged on the shoulder. Thelever normally, both by gravity and by the action of the spring K whichbears against the pin J as illustrated in Fig. 1, stands in the positionat which its said. shoulder seats the stop-pin, and thus locks thelever-arm J. The wheel D has an abutment on one of its spokes, intowhose path, as the wheel revolves, a dog K pivoted on the lever K belowits fulcrum, normally protrudes when said lever is at said lockingposition-ac wit, with its shoulder stopping the pin J". The dog assumesthis normal position under the action of gravity upon its outer end,which is stopped at the lower side against the outeredgc of the lever Kby means of the slight abutment 7,; with which the dog is there providedin Fig As the wheel D revolves the abutment D coming into contact withthe deg K on the upper side thereof, produces no effect upon the lever Kuntil the dog {3 has first been rocked over its pivot away from normalposition far enough to bring the abutment it, provided at the outer endof the dog, against the outer edge of the lever K, whereby the dog isstopped in its motion about its pivot, so that the con tinued rotationof the wheel 0 causes the abutment D since it can no longer rock the dogabout its fulcrum on the lever, to swing the lever about its fulcrum 71;on the frame, the lower end of said lever-being forced outward and theupper, which has the shoulder K, being carried inward, whereby saidshoulder-is carried out from under the pin J, which thus overhangs theincline 7t" at the upper end of said lever. 'Iheinterval during whichthelever K is thus held in non-locking position thatis,with its shoulderout from in under the pin J' is calculated to be sufficiently in excessof all ordinary variation of the clock between the intervals of thesynchronizing action to cover that variation safely-that is, to insurethat the synchronizing action will take place in that interval.

\Vhen the synchronizing-magnct is energized by the eontrolling-clock atthe instant of synchronizing, the lever J being rocked over its fulcrum,as above described, and the pin J 4 being thereby forced downward, saidpin, operating upon an incline it" of the lever, swings said leverinward at its upper end and outward at the lower end far enough to carrythe point of the deg K clear of the abutment 7a, which is presumed notyet to have been carried clear of said dog by the rotation of the wheelD, and thereupon the dog, resuming its normal position under the actionof gravity, has its point lifted past the abutment D so that when theinstant of synchronizing action is over, the magnet being deenergized bythe breaking of the circuit at the controlling-clock, the armaturefalling, and the lever K swinging upward at its inner end, and the pinJ" being lifted off the end of the lever K, said lever is restored bythe action of gravity or the spring 1 to its locking position and thedog has its point thrust inward above or behind the abutment D By thismeans when the lever J is kept unlocked during a sufficient interval tocover the synchronizing action as soon as that synchronizing action hasoccurred it is again locked, and no matter how often the magnet isreenergized the lever cannot be actuated until the wheel D has madeanother revolution and the abutment D again engages the dog anddisengages the lever K from the pin J It will be observed thatnotwithstanding the locking of the lever J in the manner described bythe lever K against possibility of swinging the former lever about itsfulcrum said lever might only be pulled up at the rear end by theenergizing of the magnet, and this would thrust the pins J and J forwardinto the plane of the wheel (3 with a tendency to interrupt the actionof that wheel, although the lever could not be rocked in the mannerdescribed and designed for the purpose of synchronizing. To prevent thisaction, l strike from the plate A inward a tongue a in position to checkany forward movement of the lever-arm J until after said arm has beendepressed below said finger Ct. Since such depression cannot take placewhile said leverarm is locked by the lever K, the forward movementcannot take place until the unlocking occurs.

It will be evident that it is not necessary to locate the K on the leverK, but that a dog might instead be pivoted on the wheel D with the sameeffect. Such a structure is shown in Fig. 5, the dog K loosely pivotedat 76 on the wheel D, having arange of play about its pivot determinedby the extent of the opening K in which the pin D fixed in the wheel D,protrudes. The nose at the free end of the dog engages with the nose K'on the lever K, which is modified in form to this extent from the formshown in Fig. l, and by such engagement the deg K is held while thewheel D rotates far enough to carry the pin D across the opening K andonly after that amount of travel the further rotation of the wheelcauses the dog to actuate the lever K with the same effect as in theform shown in Fig. 1. When the synchronizing action takes place, the degK is entirely released from the nose of the lever K and drops again tothe position shown in Fig. 4:, so that the lever K, when it swings backto locked position, is above or behind the nose of the dog.

I claim 1. In combination with the hands-train of a clock, anelectromagnet mounted on the clockframe and a circuit in which the sameis energized; an armature for said magnet and a lever connected theretoand actuated by the movement of the armature toward and from themagnet-poles, said lever having a pin or projection which, in saidmovement of the lever, is protruded through the plane of rotation of awheel in said train and moved laterally after such protrusion toencounter a spoke or web of said wheel and rotate the same.

2. In combination with the hands-train of a clock, an electromagnet anda circuit in which the same is energized; a lever fulcrumed on theclock-frame and adapted to swing obliquely toward the plane of rotationof a wheel in said clock and having a pin or finger which, in suchoblique movement, extends through and moves laterally in the plane ofrotation of said wheel, and an armature for the magnet eonnected withsaid lever, whereby said movement of the lever is caused by theenergizing of the magnet.

3. In combination with the hands-train of a clock, an elcctromagnet anda circuit in which the same is energized; an armature for the magnet anda lever connected to and actuated by the armature in the movement of thelatter toward and from the magnctpoles, such lever having two pins orlingers which in such movement of the lever are protruded through theplane of a wheel of said train and moved laterally after suchprotrusion, said pins or lingers being so located that in such lateralmovement they encounter the web or spokes of said wheel at oppositesides of the center of the wheel; whereby they tend, one to refate thewheel, and the otherto arrest its rotation,

In combination with a hands-train of a clock, an eleetromagnet and acircuit in which the same is energized, an armature for the magnet; alever to which the same is attached having trunnions by which it is fulcrumed on the clock-frame, the bearing for one of said trunnions beingelongated to permit one end of the armature to drop away from the magnetfarther than the other, whereby the armatures movement toward and fromthe magnet causes the lever to swing toward and from the plane ofrotation of a wheel in said train and also to oscillate in the generaldirection of such plane, said le 'er having a pin or finger which isprotruded through the plane of such wheel by the 'fllSt-lllGlltl'OllGdmov ment of the lever, and moved laterally in such plane by thesecond-mentioned movement as and for the purpose set forth.

5. in combination with the clock-frame having front and back plates, thehands-train mounted on the front plate, the electromagnet mounted on theframe and the circuit in which it is energized; the lever-arm J havingthe trunnionsj and f the former j ournaled in the front plate, and thelatter in the back plate, the journal-bearing in said back plate beingelongated or slotted in a direction approximating the general directionof the lever-arm; whereby said rear trunnion may have a movement in adirection to cause the lever-arm J to approach and recede from the frontplate, said lever-arm having the pins J and J adapted to be protrudedthrough a wheel in said hands-train by such movement of the reartrunnion, whereby the movement of the a mature toward the magnet-polesaf- 6. In combination with the hands-train of a clock, an electromagnetmounted on the frame and a circuit in which it is energized; an armaturefor such magnet and a lever connected thereto and actuated thereby andadapted to act upon a wheel in said train when the magnet is energized;a second lever adapted to lock the first lever against the movement inwhich it may actuate the said train-wheel, and an abutment 011 a wheelof the train adapted as such wheel rotates to actuate said locking-leverand disengage it from the first lever, whereby the synchronizingmovement of the first lever is permitted only after the second lever hasbeen actuated by said abutment.

7. In combination with a hands-train of a clock and an electromagnetmounted on the frame and a circuit in which such magnetis energized, anarmature for the magnet; a lever connected to and actuated by thearmature and adapted when so actuated to actuate a wheel of thehands-train to set the hands; a second lever adapted to lock the firstlever against such setting movement; a wheel in the hands-train adaptedto actuate the locking-lever, the means for the actuation of the leverby such wheel consisting of a dog pivoted on one of said parts andhaving a limited range of movement about its pivot and adapt ed tonormally stand at one limit of said range of movement, and an abutmenton the other of said parts adapted to encounter said dog as the wheelrevolves, and cause it to be moved to the opposite limit as the wheelc011- tinues to revolve; whereby, at such opposite limit the engagementof the wheel and lever becomes positive and the let er receivestheunlocking movement; the synchronizing-lever having an abutment whichacts upon the locking-lever in the synchronizing movement to move saidlockinglever in a direction to disengage the abutment and dog and permitthe latter to resume its normal position,whereby the return of thelocking-lever to locking position is permitted without causing a reencounter of the dog and abutment.

8. In combination with the hands-train of a clock, an electromagnetmounted on the frame and a circuit in which such magnet is energized; anarmature for the magnet; a lever to which the same is attached havingtrunnions by which it is f ulcrumed on the clockframe; the bearing forone of said trunnions being rotated to permit one end of the mag- 5 eralmovement of the lever which results from 6 the straightening up of thearmature when attracted toward the magnet; a locking device whichprevents the oscillation of the lever about its fulcrum in a directionto permit the armature to approach the magnet and 61 a stop projectingfrom the frame which prevents said lateral movement of the lever whilethe armature is prevented from approaching the magnet; whereby thefinger of the lever is prevented from protruding into 7 said wheel ofthe train without also moving in a direction to actuate said wheel.

9. In combination with the hands-train of a clock and an electromagnetmounted on the train and a circuit in which such magnet is 71 energized,an armature for the magnet; a lever connected to and actuated by thearmature and adapted when so actuated to actuate a wheel of thehands-train to set the hands; a second lever adapted to lock the first Slever against such setting movement; a dog pivoted on said lever andhaving a limited range of movement with respect thereto and tendingnormally to stand at one limit of said range; a wheel in the trainhaving an abut- 8 ment which, as the wheel rotates, engages the dog whensaid dog is in said normal position and the lever is in lockingposition; the hand-setting lever having an abutment which engages thelocking-lever in the set- 9 ting movement of the former and aetuates thelocking-lever in a direction to disengage the dog from the abutment,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Chicago, Illinois,this 7th day of January, 1897.

C. M. CROOK.

lVitnesses:

CHAS. S. BURTON, JEAN ELLIOTT.

